Think has Work to do for Eclipse glory

Niall Cronin
– 28 June 2011 03:00 PM

Aidan O'Brien's So You Think (pictured) will get the opportunity to redeem himself and prove his trainer right in Saturday's Coral Eclipse at Sandown where he fill face a maximum of seven rivals -- three of which could also emerge from Ballydoyle.

The New-Zealand bred and Australian-raced sensation arrived at the Coolmore set-up over the winter with a lofty reputation and after two facile wins in Ireland he suffered a somewhat surprising defeat in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier this month.

O'Brien was quick to take full responsibility afterwards, suggesting that he had gone too easy on him in training, and the five-year-old was heavily backed once betting opened up on the Coral Eclipse after the latest forfeit stage yesterday.

So You Think was once a 5/4 shot with major bookmakers Paddy Power, William Hill and Boylesports yesterday but he is now 11/10, 1/1 and 10/11 with those firms respectively after sustained support throughout the day.

The colt by High Chaparral will need to be at his very best if he is to return to winning ways as Workforce heads the opposition for Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore, who, of course, partnered So You Think on the last two occasions.

The field is likely to be a small one as hero Cape Blanco is unlikely to take on his stable-mate, while Jan Vermeer, who cut out the pacemaking duties at Royal Ascot, was only in action on Friday night when runner-up to Famous Name at the Curragh.

Stoute has also left in Confront, while the field is completed by Sri Putra and Curragh absentee Snow Fairy.

Workforce, the previous course and distance winner and last year's Epsom Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, can be backed as big as 7/4 with both Paddy Power and Boylesports.

With Moore riding the latter, O'Brien will be in search of the right replacement for the favourite.

Christophe Soumillon and Kieren Fallon have been used on big occasions so far this season, as has Jamie Spencer, while Seamie Heffernan won on the colt at the Curragh on his Irish debut, and Joseph O'Brien rides him out every morning.

O'Brien commented: "Joseph rides him out every day, Seamie rides him in all his work and Seamie rode him the day he won at the Curragh.

"I don't think there's any scarcity of riders, so we'll decide if he's going to run or not first and then we can talk about who is going to ride him."

POTENTIAL

Meanwhile, also on Saturday across the water, there is an attractive card at Haydock where the Lanchasire Oaks features and Snow Fairy heads that potential line-up along with the Jim Bolger-trained Banimpire.

Bolger's Royal Ascot-winning filly is likely to be still Irish Oaks-bound at the Curragh in just under a fortnight, but due to her lazy nature at home, the trainer is likely to let her run on Saturday ahead of her Classic assignment eight days later.